Kate Gosselin Says She's 'Horrified' by Ex Jon Gosselin as He Denies Abusing Their Son Collin
Kate Gosselin Says She's 'Horrified' by Ex Jon Gosselin as He Denies Abusing Their Son Collin
A child abuse investigation was launched following an alleged recent incident between Jon and 16-year-old Collin
Kate Gosselin is refuting her ex-husband Jon Gosselin's statement after a child abuse investigation was launched following an alleged incident with their 16-year-old son Collin.
"Jon has never abused Collin," a rep for Jon told PEOPLE on Friday. "No charges have been filed against him and there's no ongoing CYS investigation."
PEOPLE previously confirmed that Pennsylvania's Berks County Child & Youth Services had notified Kate of an open investigation into an alleged violent altercation between Jon and Collin that took place earlier this month.
On Friday, Kate, 45, countered Jon's claim regarding the investigation.
"Until I receive the letter in the mail from CYS about whether they've deemed the allegations founded or not, it is ongoing," she told PEOPLE. "My point of contact at CYS has not told me otherwise, so I have every reason to believe it is still ongoing."
CYS has never commented regarding the Gosselin family when reached by PEOPLE.
Tom Briglia/FilmMagic; Jon Gosselin/Instagram; Amanda Edwards/Getty From left: Jon, Collin and Kate Gosselin
According to the CYS report, which PEOPLE has viewed, the allegation is of "causing bodily injury to a child through recent act/failure to act: hitting/punching." The report does not name Jon as the alleged perpetrator of the abuse, but the allegation is consistent with Collin's accusation last week on Instagram that his father "beat" him.
"My dad is a liar," he wrote in the since-deleted post, a screenshot of which PEOPLE reviewed. "Yesterday he beat me up and thought nothing of it, he punched me in the face and gave me a swollen nose and I started bleeding. He then continued to kick me in the ribs after I was on the floor. He is a liar."
The Lower Heidelburg Township Police Department had no comment when reached by PEOPLE this week.
Thus far, it does not seem likely Jon will face any legal repercussions. Berks County District Attorney John Adams told PEOPLE this week that no charges or citations had been filed.
"That's the only incident we are aware of at this point and there was no citation or charges filed as a result of the incident," Adams said.
Jon and Kate, who divorced in 2009 after 10 years of marriage, are parents to twin daughters Cara and Madelyn, 19, and sextuplets Alexis, Aaden, Joel, Leah, Hannah and Collin, 16. The family shot to reality TV stardom in 2007 with their TLC series, Jon & Kate Plus 8.
Speaking to PEOPLE this week, Kate blasted her ex for his alleged behavior.
"I am horrified that this man is the father of my children," she said. "I don't want my children to be associated with someone who loses his mind because his car got dented."
"I do not want this buried, swept under the rug or minimized. As a mother, I am not going to sit quietly and idly by while my child, any of my children, is assaulted by anyone, let alone their own father," she continued. "I am spotlighting this, and I will keep shouting about it, in the hopes that the authorities and the courts will finally do the right thing. Do not return my child to an abuser’s home. Jon needs to be charged with a crime. If this were your child, would you feel okay with having it swept under the rug?"
A source told PEOPLE that the alleged incident occurred after Collin became upset while talking to his father in the car.
"Collin got furious and was screaming and swearing. When they got home, he was still screaming and cursing and he went into the garage and got ... a big heavy bottle of liquid — and hurled it at Jon's car, denting it," the source claimed. "Jon got out of the car enraged, put him in a headlock, punched him square in the nose, and when Collin fell to the ground, then he kicked him in the ribs."
According to the source, Collin called the police, who responded on the scene.
Jon Gosselin/Instagram Jon Gosselin with son Collin
"You do not punch and kick your children. You do not kick a child," Kate told PEOPLE. "I don't want to hear any excuses from anyone, not from his father, not from local law enforcement, not from court personnel whose job is supposedly to ensure the best interests of my children."
Collin previously spent a little over two years away from his family in a program for children with special needs before moving in with Jon. Hannah also lives with her father, while the other four sextuplets and the twins live with their mother.
Speaking to reporters last year, Jon said he's not in communication with his children besides Collin and Hannah.
"It's what the kids want to do," he said. "If they don't want to talk to me, that's fine, as long as they keep up with their sibling connections."
Jon has also publicly accused Kate of abuse in press interviews. But after the latest alleged incident, Kate said she feels compelled to speak out.
"I stayed silent for a long time as Jon has repeatedly tried to start world wars with vicious words, allegations of abuse that were always unfounded, but I never engaged — I never fought back for myself or to defend myself, because there were eight people who matter more to me," she said. "But now that it involves one of my children, I will not stay silent anymore. Say whatever you want about me, and I'll stay on the high road. But you harm my children, I'm ready to fight back."
